Black Eyed Peas deliver a show in tune with Expo 2020 Dubai's global vision

The four-piece performed as part of the Infinite Nights concert series

The Black Eyed Peas perform at Expo 2020 Dubai. All photos: Reuters

The US pop-rap group performed at Al Wasl Plaza.

The group hopes the concert can help to chart a way forward for the live music industry struggling with the pandemic.

The euphoric performance was live-streamed from the Expo website.

Ahead of the show, will.i.am said he hoped the performance 'acts as an inspiration to hold live events with safety measures in place'.

Band member Taboo makes a heart-shaped gesture to his fans.

The show featured tracks sung in English, Spanish and Tagalog.

The Black Eyed Peas have topped the charts for nearly three decades, with songs such as 'Where Is the Love?' and 'Boom Boom Pow'.

A multicultural crowd sang along to some of the band's biggest hits.

Will.i.am motivated the crowd throughout the night with shouts of 'yallah!'

'We can't wait to vibe under the dome and have some magical moments,' will.i.am said ahead of the show. Pictured with singer J Rey Soul.

The high-octane affair was held according to strict safety standards.

When will.i.am said the Black Eyed Peas rarely rehearse for major concerts, he wasn’t fooling around.

An impromptu moment during Tuesday night’s show at Expo 2020 Dubai came towards the end when the rapper asked the backing band to stop the intro to the closing anthem I Gotta Feeling.

“I want to try something different,” he said, before imploring the crowd to join him in creating a regionally relevant version of their biggest hit.

"We love all nationalities and religions around the world,” he said under the dome of Expo 2020's majestic Al Wasl Plaza.

“So on this song, in this country, right now, when I say 'I got a feeling', you say 'inshallah'. It will be perfect.”

The crowd obliged and the result was a lovely ending to what was a euphoric and inclusive show.

Nearly 30 years on, Black Eyed Peas remain the band for big occasions.

With more than 80 million in album sales and a string of chart-topping hits, the key to the group’s appeal has always been the ability to transcend language and culture.

Hence, they became the go-to group for global events such as the 2011 NFL Super Bowl in the US, the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa and the 2019 Asian Games in the Philippines.

If you watch these performances online, you will find the quartet adding local elements to each show, whether by infusing their tracks with material from artists from that city or lacing their interactions with the local dialect.

When it came to their Expo show, the group didn’t need to try too hard to appeal locally.

Performing in the round stage of Al Wasl Dome, all members showcased their respective affinity with the UAE.

Will.i.am peppered his crowd chatter with references to the city’s ambition and raised the energy with his incessant shouts of "yallah".

Filipino members apl.de.ap and J Rey Soul acknowledged a large contingent from their homeland, with the former even dropping a freestyle rap in Tagalog.

From the hip-hop and soul fusion of Let’s Get It Started and robotic dance rhythms of Boom Boom Pow to the bevy of Spanish tracks, including standouts Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life) and Mamacita, the group kept it fun and loose while marauding around the circular stage to ensure everyone was involved in the action.

Will.i.am said the Black Eyed Peas performances are often inspired by the present moment.

On that score, the group crafted a hit-laden show befitting the universality of Expo 2020 Dubai.